Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by ctdfalconer:

I find it interesting that Baltika has so many different varieties on the shelf and that so many of them are so similar. Variations on a theme. There are exceptions to that, this beer being one. It's definitely un-lagerlike. It looks quite a bit like a hefeweizen except that the yeast sediment came out of the bottle in big floppy sheets instead of fine sediment like a classic hefe. It has a big fluffy white head and hazy orange-gold color like a hefeweizen. The aroma and flavor come off considerably more like an American wheat beer than a German. It's drinkable, sure, but not outstanding. One thing that Baltika has going for it is that it's generally quite a bit cheaper than other .5-liter bottles on the shelves.

More User Reviews:

Appearance - This is a light, hazy yellow in color with a head that came up OK but fell like a rock.

Smell - There's actually some good yeast in the nose though the stiff grain plays the spoiler. I've got a twist of lemon rind though and a bit of classic wheaty spicing that keeps it honest with the style.

Taste - This almost accomplishes the mission. There's a faint yeast flavor, some nice wheat, the grain from the nose seems gone, and I might even be getting some light fruit. I'm not feeling the banana here but maybe some light tangerine or other citrusy flavor.

Mouthfeel - This is light-bodied and carbonated more like a light lager than a wheat beer.

Muddled light amber beige color, with a decent lacing on top. Strong overripe fruit, yeast, wet bread and very faint cheap wine ... not sure where this beer is going, but the nose is way out there. Smooth and creamy with a medium- size body. Some breadiness but the fruitiness takes over; vinous with nearly rotten fruit and an odd warming alcohol. A chore to drink, this beer needs to be cleaned up, as the potential is there.

Bought in Melbourne, bottle resembles the one in the photo but with a paper collar instead of foil and perhaps a longer neck.

Poured into an Erdinger glass, a large fluffy head formed which broke down reasonably quickly into a thin retained head with lacing. Fairly dark yellow but not amber. A good amount of small bubbles. This is my first beer of the style - I thought this was a Russian take on a Bavarian Hefeweizen but the flavour is different. For a Weizen the appearance is below average.

Smell: Bizarre. I'd like to know what esters/acids are responsible for that whisky malt-like aroma, because as soon as I opened the bottle that smell pervaded the room. It wasn't very appealing since it's 43 degrees in Canberra today and I was after a cool refreshing Weissbier, not a nip of Scotch. On the upside, no adjunct aromas are present, although there is some bubblegum and something smelling a bit like burning plastic bag. If I'd known this brew was going to smell like this I would have served it colder... not a flattering comment.

Taste: Not too offensive, apart from an unpleasant, indefinable aftertaste on the palate. Maybe some lemon, malt and tart, unpleasant yeast notes... Can't elaborate on it too much. I don't know if it's the style I don't like - seeing as though this resembles a Hefe crossed with a bad English wheat ale: merely a bastardised form of one of my favourite styles, or if it's just a mediocre brew. In any case, it's not for a lack of a distinct flavour, just that the flavour is wrong.

The beer seems a little bit flat in the mouth too. As I get down to the bottom of the glass, my mouth isn't happy and it's starting to refuse to swallow. As for drinkability - this deserves an even lower score. I wouldn't drink another one of these if offered, unless under extenuating, extreme-thirst-inducing circumstances.

This brew got worse the more I drank. Probably wouldn't be too bad if drunk really cold. Still, more texture and depth to it than any other Russian beer I've had.

Taste: Wheat dominates...There are touches of bananas, clove, and a bit of honey

Mouthfeel: very light bodied, high carbonation, very very sweet

Drinkability: Light and weak for the style. Lately I have had the pleasure of trying complex hefes and this is not one. This is not a bad beer and I would have this again if offered--maybe even down a couple. However, in the style, there are much better.

Pours straw colored with a huge white head. The aroma is wheat, yeast, banana and some cloves and citrus. The flavor is as expected with lots of bananas, cloves and other spices. You get some citrus as well. Very crisp and drinkable. Medium body and medium-high carbonation. Finishes dry.

Without the label, you would never know this is not from Germany. Pours cloudy gold with a full white head. Nice strong aroma of yeast, bubblegum, and bananas. Great strong taste of the same, but tart with lemon and wheat. It is very carbonated, which is a drawback, but this is stil a really, really good hefe.

Appearance: Cloudy apricot orange hue with a white creamy head forming that leaves lacing evenly around the glass. Aroma: Banana, clove, and vanilla tones aromatic as all hell light but a standout sharp sweetness makes for a great hefeweizen. Taste: Good mix of yeast deriven esters with banana, clove, and vanilla tones an excellent Russian brewed authentic hefe, very nice. Mouthfeel: Light refreshing semi spritzy somewhat fluffy texture, overall smooth, very smooth. Drinkability: Wow, summer brew from Russia that impresses me whole heartedly, I could definitely go for a few more of these.

Pours with a small whitish head that quickly disappears and leaves no lacing. rather clear amber-copper tone.

Has a very sweet and fruity aroma with a clear suggestion of banana and clove. Beyond these it is also yeasty. These aromas also appear in the taste, including the rather high sweetness, along with allspice, apple juice and wheat.

Light body; crisp with medium carbonation; semi-dry.

O: Clearly appropriate for style but I find this style mostly unappealing. Nonetheless, I did find this to be moderately refreshing and drinkable.

Poured to my Aventinus glass. Pale yellow, slightly cloudy with a puffy white head that gets clumpy and then dissipates down to about one fingah! Carbonation stays active throughout.Aroma- Musty with yeast. Banana esters and clove aromas are present but a sweeter grassy smell mutes them somewhat. Different but pleasing!Mouthfeel- sweeter malt flavors hit the palate first. A mild hop profile is mixed in. The banana and clove characteristics emerge as real flavors. A froth on the palate maintains the same flavor profile. The wheat bite comes close to the finish almost getting tart, but not sour. Baltika has a winner with this wheat. And, their brews are consistently good and price friendly.

This one's a hazy yellow, perhaps just a shade paler than the typical hefe. The head isn't huge, but it's respectable; and, while it doesn't leave much lacing, there's a little thin lacing and the head sticks around almost the whole way.The banana and yeast are there in the aroma, the clove very weak but present. There's just the slightest astringent twinge as well.There's a slightly stronger wheat back in the flavor, though overall it's a bit light. There's also more sweetness than expected, and it's not really either an improvement or a detraction except for a slightly artificial note in an otherwise dry aftertaste.The body is light and carbonation is a little heavy.This one isn't bad.

I was taken by surprise with this beer. I've seen it in the store along with their #6, but at the low price I just figured it was a think light nothing type of beer. Finally, we tasted some and was impressed. It had a nice aroma, typical of a wheat beer and had that nice cloudy hue about itThe wheat 'flavor' was not as pronounced as with some other wheat beers, but still it was really nice It didnt have the typical orange, coriander spice to it, but none the less it was an enjoyable and inexpensive beer

The glass fills with a cloudy light yellow liquid capped with a massive, white craggy head that melts very slowly leaving a quarter inch of cap in the end.
Aroma is initially soft banana, pepper, and soap
Taste is a dry sharp wheat...very spicy like white pepper with a very light banana aftertaste.
Mouthfeel is tingly from both the carbonation and spicy wheat.
Nice take on the American Wheat Style.

Poured a cloudy yellowish with a thick white head that lasted to the last sip.
Smelled of bananas. Not a bad aroma.
Taste was actually very pleasent. Fruity with some spices present. No bitterness and no sharpness on the carbonation.
Mouthfeel was very smooth and went down nicely.

Even though I'm not a fan of Wheat beers Baltika 8 was a good beer that was quite refreshing. The best Wheat beer I've had to date. Worth buying!

Taste - All the flavors of a great hefe are here - banana, wheat, bubblegum and clove spice, and they all come through with great balance from start to finish. Hints of buttery diacetyl near the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body, with a soft carbonation. Goes down with a buttery smoothness.

Overall - This is a really good hefe. Great all-around balance. One I'm sure I'll have to revisit at some point in time.